Natural gas seems poised to make dramatic inroads into the transportation sector for long-haul trucks, given a powerful combination of high diesel prices, a company making large investments in building a nationwide network of stations, and major manufacturers eagerly producing the trucks. A widespread shift to natural gas would have a substantial impact on America’s oil consumption; long-haul trucks, i.e., “big rigs” or “18-wheelers,” transport goods all around the country, and they consumed about 1.9 million barrels a day b/d of oil in 2010.
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When it comes to green vehicles in the next couple decades, we actually should be turning our attention to the seemingly dirty 20th-century technology — the conventional gasoline engine. Proposed fuel economy standards through 2025 should dramatically improve efficiency and reduce GHG emissions, while increasingly stringent air quality standards should continue to reduce smog-forming pollutants of these “advanced gasoline” vehicles. Emissions from advanced gasoline vehicles could fall more rapidly than those from electrics and sometimes be a better choice for the environment.
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Is ethanol a green fuel or just greenwash? The current U.S. biofuels program that promotes corn-based ethanol is far from environmental sustainability and should be dramatically revamped, concludes a new policy paper by the Baker Institute Energy Forum. Current policy is likely to lead to dramatic increases in the “dead zone” that damages ecosystems and […]
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The mission of the nonpartisan James A. Baker III Institute for Public
Policy is to help bridge the gap between theory and practice of public
policy by drawing together experts from academic, government, media, business
and nongovernmental organizations. By involving policymakers, scholars
and students, the institute seeks to improve the debate on selected public
policy issues and to make a difference in the formulation, implementation and
evaluation of public policy. The institute’s more than 20 programs, which include research, speaking series, events and special projects, have helped attract a host of prominent leaders who provide their views and insights on key issues.